In-Game Description

Bronze shield of the gargoyle guarding the
Bell of Awakening in the Undead Church.
The gargoyle's skin is tough by itself, and
perhaps its shield may have been a prop,
for it is a rare example of a metal shield
that does not reduce physical damage by 100%.

The Damage Reduction % of the shield. It dictates how much damage the shield mitigates while blocking.
The Damage Reduction % stats for shields are W / X / Y / Z:

W is Physical Damage

X is Magical Damage

Y is Fire Damage

Z is Lightning Damage

Stability:

Determines the amount of stamina expended to block an incoming attack. A higher stability also allows players to block stronger attacks without breaking guard and reduces the amount of stamina depleted from blocking attacks.

Durability:

The durability of the shield. The effectiveness of the shield will severely deteriorate when the durability falls below 30%.

Weight:

The weight of the shield. Note that carrying over 50% of a character's Equip Weight will reduce the speed of their rolls, while going over 100% will reduce their regular speed to walking and attempts to roll or backstep will leave them momentarily stunned.

Requirements:

Determines how high various Stats must be in order to wield the shield effectively.
The requirement stats for shields are W / X / Y / Z:

W is the Strength required

X is the Dexterity required

Y is the Intelligence required

Z is the Faith required

While it is possible to use a shield with lower-than-required Strength, the character will suffer a severe penalty to stability, thus making it easier to break their guard.